Nottingham Forest are believed to have made a move to sign Wolfsburg midfielder Aster Vranckx, according to reports in France.

What's the word?

As per L'Equipe, the 19-year-old is said to have 'received offers' from a handful of clubs across Europe, including Forest, although it is unclear as to whether the Bundesliga side will sanction his departure.

The promising teenager - who made the move to Germany from Mechelen in 2020 - has also reportedly been the subject of interest from fellow Premier League side Everton in recent times.

As for the Reds, manager Steve Cooper has already bolstered his midfield ranks this summer with the signings of Lewis O'Brien, Orel Mangala, Cheikou Kouyate and Remo Freuler, while recent reports have suggested that a move for Lyon's Houssem Aouar could also be in the works.

Cooper's own Gallagher

Although it remains to be seen whether the former Swansea City boss would move for yet another central midfield option before the September 1st deadline, there is no doubting that signing Vrancx would be an astute piece of business, having impressed for his current club.

Dubbed "very talented" by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer, the £9m-rated prospect scored twice in 24 German top-flight outings last term, having previously scored five goals and registered four assists during his time in his native Belgium.

Although he can clearly make an impact in the final third, the 6-foot menace is seemingly more highly regarded for his all-round attributes, having been described as a "box-to-box midfielder" by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

That ability to make an impact at both ends of the pitch could see the £9.7k-per-week titan likened to current Chelsea gem Conor Gallagher, with the pair sharing a number of stylistic and statistical similarities according to FBRef.

With the 22-year-old also noted as a "box-to-box midfielder" by Zach Lowy, the Englishman dazzled last term on loan at Crystal Palace, scoring eight goals and providing three assists in the league as he enjoyed a real breakthrough campaign at Selhurst Park.

While he has since returned to his parent club, the midfielder is the subject of interest from teams across the Premier League, having proven himself a relentless and energetic presence in the centre of the park.

Any manager would no doubt be thrilled to have a Gallagher-esque figure in their side, hence the potential intrigue at the comparison which can be made between the Blues starlet and young Vranckx.

That claim is corroborated by their similarly impressive statistical records, with the young Belgian notably ranking in the top 6% for pressures made among those in his position across Europe's top five leagues. The more senior Gallagher ranks in the top 7% in the same metric, albeit having played more minutes.

There are not just parallels defensively, as Vranckx averages 1.58 dribbles completed per game, while Gallagher is only just behind on 1.42 per match, showcasing their innate ability to drive their teams forward from midfield.

Such traits made the Three Lions international a huge success for the Eagles last term and he was even dubbed a "manager's dream" by his former boss Patrick Vieira, with the hope being that the Wolfsburg prodigy can mirror that impact if he is to come to the City Ground this summer